Apparatus and method for operating a weaving machine

ABSTRACT

The actuation of various components such as a weft thread brake or weft thread stop motion are positively controlled in response to the arrival of the weft insertion element at a predetermined point in the catcher. The arrival of the weft insertion element can be determined mechanically, photoelectrically or magnetically and such determination is used to actuate the other machine components in dependence thereon.

United States Patent Inventor Erwin Pfarrwaller Winterthur, SwitzerlandAppl. No. 804,813

Filed Mar. 6, 1969 Patented Feb. 16, 1971 Assignee Sulzer Brothers, Ltd.

Winterthur, Switzerland Priority Mar. 8, 1968 Switzerland 3522/68APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A WEAVING MACHINE 1 Claim, 13 DrawingFigs.

11.8. CI 139/336, 139/3 42, 132/370 Int. Cl. ..1)03 d 51/113, D03d 51/34Field of Search 139/ 1 22 56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,124, l 66 3/1964 Pfarrwaller 139/341 3,373,773 3/] 968 Balentine et al.139/341 FORElGN PATENTS [,5 1 8,598 2/l968 France 139/125 399,354 9/1965Switzerland 139/126 Primary Examiner-Henry S. Jaudon Attorney-Kenyon andKenyon, Reilly, Carr & Chaplin ABSTRACT: The actuation of variouscomponents such as a weft thread brake or weft thread stop motion arepositively controlled in response to the arrival of the weft insertionelement at a predetermined point in the catcher. The arrival of the weftinsertion element can be determined mechanically, photoelectrically ormagnetically and such determination is 7 used to actuate the othermachine components in dependence thereon.

PATENTEHFEBIBIHYI 3.563281 I saw 2 BF 6 In wen/0r PATENTEDFEmsmn SHEET 3OF 6 80 53 ooooc/o oo APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A WEAVINGMACHINE This invention relates to apparatus and method for operating aweaving machine, and more particularly, to looms having a weft insertionelement to which the weft thread remains connected at the end of a pickuntil the weft insertion element comes to a halt.

Heretofore, weaving machines which have used weft inserting elements towhich a weft thread remains connected until the element comes to a haltafter passing through a shed, have had various components, particularlythose concerned in picking operations, such as a weft stop motion and aweft thread brake, which have been caused to operate at a particularinstant of time during the machine cycle. For instance, the weft stopmotion which is usually on the weft insertion side has always come intothe operative position when the main shaft of the machine is in aparticular angular position. Similarly, the weft thread brake has alwaysbeen made to operate when the main shaft is in a particular angularposition (which is usually different from the other angular position forthe weft stop motion). As has been known, these functions always occurat the same time, or at the same angular position of the main shaft, ineach cycle of operation.

However, in various weaving machine, such as machines in which a grippershuttle is shot from the weft insertion side and then travels freely andunpowered and automatic looms in which the shuttle takes the weft pirnthrough the shed, the weft insertion element, e.g. a shuttle, does notalways arrive at the opposite catching side at exactly the same time,i.e. at exactly the same main shaft angle, in each cycle. With somepicks, viz. picks which end relatively late, it is inadvisable for somecomponents of the weaving machine, such as the weft stop motion and theweft thread brake on the weft insertion side, to move into the operativeposition relatively early, merely because there may be some picks whichhave ended or which may have ended earlier, i.e. at an earlier angularposition of the main shaft.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to actuate variouscomponents of a weaving machine in dependence on the arrival of a weftinsertion element at the catching side of the machine.

It is another object of the invention to sense the arrival of a weftinsertion element at a predetermined point at the catching side of themachine in a relatively simple manner.

It is another object of the invention to automatically sense the arrivalof a weft insertion element on the catching side of a weaving machineand to automatically actuate other machine components in response to thesensing of the weft insertion element.

It is another object of the invention to increase the speed of a weavingmachine.

Briefly, the invention provides an apparatus and a method of operatingvarious components of a weaving machine in dependence upon the arrivalof a weft insertion element at the catching side of the weaving machine.The weaving machine is generally one which utilizes a picking motionassembly for propelling a weft insertion element through a shed of warpthreads, a catching motion assembly for receiving and halting the weftinsertion element, and a weft insertion element in which a weft threadremains connected until the element comes to a halt.

The apparatus of the invention constitutes a control system whichincludes a sensing means located outside the shed on the catching sideof the weaving machine. The sensing means is adapted to detect thearrival of the weft insertion element at a predetermined point on thecatching side of the machine and to produce a signal indicating thesensed arrival of the weft insertion element. Further, the sensing meansis operably connected to at least one other component of the weavingmachine, such as a weft thread stop motion or a weft thread brake, fordelivering the produced signal to that component for actuation of thatcomponent. To this end, the control system can include an electroniccontrol unit which is disposed to receive the signal from the sensingmeans and to emit a control signal in dependence upon the receivedsignal to the controlled component of the weaving machine.

The method of operating a weaving machine consists in controlling atleast one other element of the weaving machine in dependence upon thearrival of the weft insertion element at a predetermined location on thecatching side of the machine.

By means of the invention, the time at which a component, such as theweft thread brake or a weft stop motion on the weft insertion side,starts to operate can be delayed in the case of picks which terminatelater than is usual. For instance, the weft thread brake can be broughtto the braking position just before the weft insertion element actuallystops. The weft stop motion can continue operating until. immediatelybefore the weft insertion element stops and thus can detect weft threadbreakage which occur very near the end of the insertion elementmovement. The controlled components can also come into operationcorrespondingly sooner for picks which end sooner. A particular featureof delaying the operation of such components, such as the weft threadbrake and the weft stop motion, is that the efficiency of the weavingmachine can be increased, especially in cases in which the weft materialis a relatively heavy yarn, such as wool or jute or a syntheticribbonlike structure (strips of film or ribbons or the like). In suchcases, the relatively heavy weft material causes the free-flying shuttleto reach the catching side relatively later, and if in such cases theweft thread brake is applied relatively early, as in the known machines,picking, which is slowed in any event, is slowed still further so thatthe individual cycle takes longer. If, therefore weft thread brakingoccurs only immediately before the end of picking, the time required fora single pick is reduced so that the machine speed and thereforeperformance can be increased.

It is clearly advantageous for the weft stop motion to continueoperating until just before the end of each individual pick so as todetect any thread breakage or mispicks occurring near the end of thepick.

The invention also makes it possilble to alter the weaving width or thespeed of operation of the machine (number of picks per minute) withouthaving to alter the time of operation of the weft stop motion or of theweft thread brake by means of complicated adjustments such as by camchanging. These components are controlled in dependence upon the time ofarrival of the weft insertion element on the catching side and so thetime at which these other components operate is adapted automatically tothe weaving width or machine speed.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become moreapparent from the following detailed description and appended claimstaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

F IG. 1 illustrates a diagrammatic view from the cloth side of a grippershuttle weaving machine embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a diagrammatic view of some of the machine componentsof importance for the invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of a mechanical sensing means accordingto the invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of a modified mechanical sensing meansaccording to the invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of a photoelectric sensing meansaccording to the invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates a side view of a modified photoelectric sensing meansaccording to the invention;

FlG. 7 illustrates a side view of a magnetic sensing means according tothe invention;

FIG. 8 illustrates a side view of the magnetic sensing means of FIG. 7with a weft insertion element in sensed position;

FlG. 9 illustrates a side view of a modified magnetic sensing meansaccording to the invention;

F i6. 10 illustrates an end view of the sensing means of FlG.

FIG. 11 illustrates a top view of the sensing means of FlG. 9

. with a weft insertion element in a sens-ed phantom position;

FIG. 13 illustrates a further modified magnetic sensing means accordingto the invention.

Referring to FIG. I, a weaving machine includes a pair of upright sideframe members 1, 2 which support in a known manner a cloth beam 3, amain shaft 5, which is driven by a suitable driving means 6, 7, a warpbeam 21, a reed 8 and heald shafts 9 as well as a picking motion 13 anda catching motion 15 for a shuttle 12. The weaving machine also definesa shed 80 of a width 60. In addition, a sensing means 22 of a controlsystem is disposed in the catching motion 15 along with a brake 23comprising two brake shoes. During operation, a weft thread 10 is drawnoff a bobbin 11 which is positioned outside the shed and after beinginserted into the shuttle 12, for example, a gripper shuttle, is pickedby the shuttle 12 into the shed by being pulled from the picking or weftinsertion side 25 at station 13 to the catching side 55 at station 15.

Referring to FIG. 2, the weaving machinefurther includes othercomponents such as, a weft thread brake 24 disposed on the weft pickingside 25, a weft stop motion 26, and a weft thread draw-back device 28which reciprocates vertically in the direction indicated by the arrow27.

The weft thread brake 24 which serves to brake the delivery of threadupon completion of a pick comprises a bottom shoe 33 and a top shoe 32,the latter being biased by an adjustable spring 31 towards the former.The bottom shoe 33 is secured to an armature 34 of a solenoid 35 forreciprocating movement towards and away from the top shoe 32 uponactuation of the armature 34. The armature 34 is biased by a spring 36which tends to maintain the armature 34 in its inoperative position, asshown. The solenoid 35 is in a circuit 37 connected toan electroniccontrol and amplifier unit 38 which in turn is connected by lines 57 toa power source 58 for the whole control system. v

The weft stop motion 26 which serves to monitor the weft thread duringpicking comprises a feeler 42 which is pivotally mounted around a pivot41 in the weaving machine and which has a free arm connected to atension spring 44 which tends to pivot the feeler 42 clockwise as viewedin FIG. 2. The arm 45 also forms the armature of a coil 46 which is in acircuit 47 also connected to the amplifier and control unit 38.

The weft thread draw-back device 28 which serves to retract a pickedweft thread just before release of the weft thread from the shuttle 12on the catching side is mounted for reciprocating vertical motion tocreate a thread reserve for the picking operation.

Also shown in FIG. 2 are a number of shuttle-guiding teeth 51 whichextend across the weaving shed width and through whose apertures 52 theshuttle 12 passes during picking. The FIG. shows warp threads 53 in thetop shed position and warp threads 54 in the bottom shed position. Inoperation, after picking, the teeth 51 are moved out of the shed forbeating up and shed changing; then, the teeth 51 again move up into theshed through the bottom warps 54, whereafter the next pick can be made.

The sensing means 22 is disposed ahead of the brake shoes 23 asconsidered in the picking direction. For the sake of simplicity, otheritems which are located at the edges of the shed and which cooperatewith the weft thread have been omitted. In actual fact, the sensingmeans 22 and station 15 of the catching motion 55 are at some distancefrom the shed 86, i.e. the cloth width 60. The sensing means 22 includesa sensing head which is in a primary control circuit 56 connected to theunit 38 so as to activate the unit 38 upon arrival of the shuttle 12. Ashuttle return slider 59 is also mounted on the catching side 55 which,when the shuttle 12 stops immediately after completion of the pick,moves the shuttle 12 back from the position in which it has stopped intoanother position which is further to the left and which is an unchangingthread release position.

The main shaft 5 which is shown in a diagrammatic perspective view hasan annular disc 61 mounted thereon which includes two permanent magnets62, 6.3. In addition, a switch 64 such as a reed switch which will bedescribed in greater detail hereinafter is mounted adjacent the disc 61so as to be switched on and off by the two magnets 62, 63. Theseelements 61 to 64 thus form a device for preparing the control system22, 38; 35, 46 for operation during a particular portion of eachcomplete revolution of the main shaft 5. As shown, magnet 62 is offsetfrom the 0 position of the main shaft 5 by an angle A, while the othermagnet 63 is offset from the main shaft 5 by an angle A The operatingrange of the control system 22, 38 35, 46 is thus the range covered bythe distance between the angles A and A,.

Referring to FIG. 3, the head of the sensing means 22 comprises a feeler66 which is pivotally mounted about a pivot 65 and which, upon arrivalof the shuttle 12 at the catching side 55, pivots from the chain-dottedposition 660 to a solid-line bottom and operative position 6612. Thefeeler 66 has a free arm 67 which cooperates with a switch 68 whichmoves a contact 69 in the circuit 56 from a chain-dotted position 69ainto a solid-line bottom and closed position, to close the primarycontrol circuit 56 when the shuttle 12 has reached the catching side 55and has been braked in the motion 15. It is assumed that the electroniccontrol unit 38 is prepared for operation as the magnet 62 passes byswitch 64.

In operation, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, approximately at or shortlybefore the beginning of picking, the magnet 62 passes the switch 64 toclose the switch temporarily so that a signal is produced by the unit 38which acts to deenergize the solenoids 35, 46 of the thread brake 24 andthe weft thread stop motion 26 respectively. The spring 36 thereforereleases the brake 24 by moving the bottom shoe 33 downwardly and thespring 44 moves the feeler 42 of the stop motion 26 from the chain-lineinoperative position 42a shown in FIG. 2 into the solid-line sensingposition 42. At about the start of picking, the drawback device 28 movesfrom the top position 28 into the chain-lineinoperative bottom position28a. During the pick which then follows, the shuttle l2 and the weftthread 10 pulled thereby move to the right as viewed in FIG. 2 throughthe shed formed by the warps 53, 54 and through the path 107 definedbetween the brake shoes 33.

When the nose 12a of the shuttle passes the feeler 66 of the sensinghead 22 a signal is transmitted by the switch 69 along the leads 56 tothe control unit 38 which then energizes the two solenoids 35, 46 sothat the thread brake 24 returns to the on position (not shown) and thestop motion feeler 42 moves into the chain-line inoperative position42a. Throughout picking, therefore, the stop motion 26 supervises theweft thread 10, since the gentle pull of the spring 44 keeps the feeler42 in continuous engagement with the thread 10. The brake 24 goes righton" only right at the end of picking; similarly, the feeler 42disengages from the weft thread 10 only right at the end of picking. Thebrake shoes 23 in the catching motion 55 then stop the shuttle 12completely (stop position), whereafter the slider 59 moves the shuttle12 to the left as viewed in FIG. 2 into precisely located thread releaseposition. During this leftwards movement the draw-back device 28 movesupwards from the inoperative position 28a to draw back the slackenedthread 10.

Should the weft thread 10 break or separate from the shuttle 12 (knownas a mispick) during picking, the weft thread loses its tension and thespring 44 pivots the feeler 42 into the chain-dotted position 42bcausing the arm 45 to bridge two contacts 82 of a stop circuit 81. Thestop circuit 81 therefore closes so that the stop motion (not shown)operates as is known and stops the weaving machine, whereafter the loomminder can clear the weft thread breakage.

After the signal initiated by the shuttle 12 has been delivered by thehead 22, the magnet 63 passes the switch 64 to close the switch 64. Thecontrol unit 38 therefore produces another signal as is known which isused to check whether the signal just referred to and produced by thehead 22 and shuttle 12 has already been given. The control unit 38 is sodevised that if a signal has been given, as is the case for normaloperation, the machine is unaffected and therefore continues to operate.If, however, the head 22 fails to deliver a signal, this usually meansthat the shuttle 12 has not reached the catching side 55. In this case,i.e. while the magnet 63 is acting via the switch 64 to produce a signalin the unit 38, the unit stops the machine by way of an electricalconnection 84 which extends from the unit 38 to the stop motion controlcircuit 81. It is therefore unnecessary to provide a special sensing pinwhich checks for arrival of the shuttle 12 in the mechanism 15, as thefunction formerly provided by such a pin is taken over by the head 22and the magnetically operated switch 64.

In an alternative form, the control unit 38 is so devised that when thehead 22 delivers a signal, the thread brake solenoid 35 is deenergizedsimultaneously whereas a brief time elapses before the stop motionsolenoid 46 is deenergized, thus ensuring that, as may sometimes bedesirable, the feeler 42 is pressed against the weft thread shortlyafter the start of picking.

In yet another alternative form, the control unit is so devised that apredetermined brief time interval elapses between the transmission ofthe sensing head signal and the transmission by the control unit 38 ofthe two signals for the solenoids 35 46. It may be convenient for thesetwo signals to be delayed to ensure that the brake 24 is not appliedimmediately upon the shuttle head 12a reaching the feeler 66 but isapplied only when most of the shuttle 12 is already between the brakeshoes 23 and has almost stopped. Conveniently too, the solenoid 46 canbe energized with a delay such that the feeler 42 continues to pressagainst the thread 10 until the shuttle 12 has reached the position justreferred to between the brake shoes 23.

Referring to FIG. 4, the sensing head of the sensing means 22 canalternatively have two electrical contacts 85 which are connected in thecontrol circuit 56 and which are biased upwards as viewed by springs 86.In operation, when the shuttle 12 has reached the catching side 55 andhas entered the catcher or is moving between the two brake shoes 23, thecontacts 85 are pressed down from the chain-dotted position 85a into thesolid-line positions and electrically interconnected by the shuttle 12,which in this case must be made of an electrically conductive substance.Thus, upon completion of the circuit, the operation of the sensing meansand control system functions as described above.

Referring to FIG. 5, the sensing head of the sensing means 22 can alsobe a photoelectric barrier 91 comprising a light source 92 whose lightis converted into a parallel beam 94 by a lens 93. After passing throughanother lens 95 the light impinges on a photocell 96 connected in thecontrol circuit 56. When the shuttle 12 reaches the catching side 55 orcatcher 15, i.e. when the beam 94 is interrupted, a signal correspondingto the sensing head signals previously described is produced in theelectronic control unit 38. Consequently, interruption of the beam 94initiates the signals, hereinbefore described with references to FIG. 2,for the solenoids 35, 46 and triggers off other events as previouslyexplained.

Referring to FIG. 6, a different form of photoelectric barrier 91 canalternatively be used. In the absence of a shuttle, the beam 94 isreflected back on itself from a reflecting surface 99 and is reflectedby a semireflecting mirror 97 to a photocell 96 connected in the controlcircuit 56. When the shuttle has entered the catcher 1S, reflection iseither suppressed or greatly reduced since, as is necessary for thisexample, the shuttle is made of a material, such as plastics, whichreflects little, if at all. Consequently, when the shuttle 12 is presentno light reaches the photocell 96. When the shuttle 12 has reached thecatching side, i.e. when no light beam reaches the cell 96, the signalspreviously referred to for the solenoids 35, 46, are delivered by theunit 38 and the other events are initiated.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the sensing head of the sensing means 22 canalso be of a magnetic type. In this case the sensing head has apermanent magnet 101 formed with two pole pairs 102, 103 and 104, 105disposed perpendicularly of each other. In addition, a field plate 106is disposed between the first pair of poles 102, 103 within a magneticfield 108 created by these poles and is connected in the control circuit56. This field plate 106 is, for example, a semiconductor such asgermanium. The second pair of poles 104, is disposed on the path 107 ofthe shuttle 12 entering the catcher 15 to create a magnetic field 109which passes through the shuttle path 107.

In operation, when no shuttle is present above the sensing head, asshown in FIG. 7, a relatively strong magnetic field 108 is formedbetween the two poles 102, 103 and a relatively weak magnetic field 109is formed between the poles 104, 105; the poles 104, 105 being furtherapart from one another than are the poles 102, 103. When the shuttle 12passes over the sensing head 22 on the catching side 55 as viewed in H0.8 (in this example the shuttle is made preferably of steel and in anycase of magnetically conductive substance), the magnetic reluctancebetween the poles 104 and 105 is reduced considerably, so that arelatively weak field 106a exists between the poles 102, 103 and arelatively strong field 1090 which passes through the shuttle 12 existsbetween the poles 104, 105. Consequently, the magnetic field passingthrough the plate 106 is of low intensity. In order to utilize thisreduction in the magnetic field, the field plate 106 is constructed sothat its electrical resistance alters in dependence upon the strength ofthe external magnetic field. The resulting relatively weak field 108athen initiates a signal in the unit 38 to trigger the signalshereinbefore described for the solenoids 35, 46 and the other events.

Referring to FIGS. 9 to 12, a permanent magnet 111 can alternatively bedisposed on the shuttle path 107 on the catching side 55 or in thecatcher l5, and a reed switch 64a responsive to a strong externalmagnetic field can be disposed very near the magnet 111 to cooperatetherewith. In such a case, for example, the magnet 111 has a pair ofpoles 113, 114 which are spaced apart below the shuttle path 107 tocreate a magnetic field 115 which intercepts the shuttle path 107. Also,the switch 640 is positioned astride the: magnet 111 below the plane ofthe magnetic field 115 and parallel to the magnet 111 so as to interceptthe magnetic field 116 of the magnet 111. The operation of the switch64a now to be described also applies to the switch 64 in FIG. 2.

In this embodiment, the shuttle 12 is assumed to be made of amagnetically conductibe substance, such as steel. When the shuttle 12has reached the catching side 55 or catcher 15, as has been assumed inFIGS. 9 to 11, a relatively strong mag netic field 115 is producedbetween the two poles 113, 114 of the magnet 111, whereas a relativelyweak field 116 passes through the switch 64a, with the result that thetwo resilient contacts 117 of the switch 640 open.

If, on the other hand, and as assumed in FIG. 12, there is no shuttleabove the magnet 111, i.e. above poles 113, 114, the strength of themagnetic field 1150 between the poles 113, 114 becomes relatively weak,whereas the strength of the field 116a moving above the switch 64a isrelatively large. Consequently, the contacts 117 move into the closedposition as shown in FIG. 12. Thus, when the shuttle has reached thecatching side, i.e. when the contacts 117 open as shown in FIG. 11, acorresponding signal is given in the electronic control unit 38 and theother signals hereinbefore described are transmitted to the solenoids35, 46 to trigger the other events.

Referring finally to FIG. 13, the sensing head of the sensing means 22can alternatively comprise an induction coil 121 having a soft iron core122 which is connected in the control circuit 56. In use, when theshuttle 12, which, in this example, is made of steel, moves past thecoil 121, the magnetic field formed by the coil 122 alters to produce asignal in the control circuit 56 which is transmitted to the controlunit 30, so that the other signals hereinbefore described aretransmitted to the solenoids 35, 46 and the other events are initiated.

If required, only the weft thread stop motion 26 or only the threadbrake 24 can be controlled by the sensing means 22, or one or more otherelements of the weaving machine can be controlled by the sensing means22 either individually or together or in a fixed timing determined bythe control unit 38. The elements thus controlled can be of the kindwhich can have only two positions and whEh are changed over from oneposition to the other by the sensing head control. If required, elementshaving more than two positions can be used, in which case, whereapplicable, the secondary control signal delivered by the control unit38 can go to an element which prepares some other event dependent uponother operating factors or other parts of the weaving machine. Thepreparatory element can be in the nature of an unlocking device.

The word control is intended to denote every kind of supervision of oraction on a weaving machine element which stops or starts in response toa signal from the sensing means 22 or which has a change made to someother operating parameter. What is always meant is the controlling ofother elements, more particularly elements disposed on the picking side25 and elements associated with picking, in dependence upon the instantof the time at which the weft insertion element eg the shuttle 12,reaches the catching side 55 or catching motion is. The instant of timeat which the weft insertion element reaches the catching side differsfrom pick to pick, and so the timing of the operation of the otherelements controlled by the sensing means 22 will also vary, i.e. beadapted to the times of arrival of the weft insertion element.

The sensing means 22 can be located either in the catching motion 15 or,as considered in the picking direction, im-

mediately ahead of the catching motion. The weft insertion elements canbe, for example, free-flying gripper shuttles or weaving shuttles whichcarry a pirn with them through the shed, and particularly elements ofthe kind which do not always automatically reach the catching side atthe same instant of time in the operating cycle.

Iclaim:

1. In combination with a weaving machine having a picking motion and acatching motion disposed on opposite sides of a shed for picking a weftthread insertion element through the shed and at least a weft threadstop having a movably mounted weft thread feeler for resilientlycontacting a weft thread during the picking, said stop being disposed tostop the weaving machine in response to pivoting of said feeler towardsa weft thread upon breakage of the weft thread during picking; a controlsystem including a sensing means located outside the shed on thecatching motion side for sensing the arrival of the weft insertionelement at a predetermined point thereat and for emitting a first signalin response to the sensed arrival of the element, and second meansconnecting said sensing means to said weft thread stop for actuation ofsaid stop in response to said signal to prevent pivoting of said feelertowards the weft thread.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,56328l Dated February 16, 1971 Inventor(s) in Pfarrwaller It is certifiedthat error appears in the above-identified patent and that said LettersPatent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Golumn 2, line 4?, insert "new" before --weaving-- Column 7, line 18,change "catching motion is" to ..catching motion 15-- Signed and sealedthis 1 at day of June 1 971 (SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLE'I'CHER,J"R. WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR. Attesting OfficerCommissioner of Patents USCOMM-DC 60876-5 'ORM F'O-1 050 (10-69)

1. In combination with a weaving machine having a picking motion and acatching motion disposed on opposite sides of a shed for picking a weftthread insertion element through the shed and at least a weft threadstop having a movably mounted weft thread feeler for resilientlycontacting a weft thread during the picking, said stop being disposed tostop the weaving machine in response to pivoting of said feeler towardsa weft thread upon breakage of the weft thread during picking; a controlsystem including a sensing means located outside the shed on thecatching motion side for sensing the arrival of the weft insertionelement at a predetermined point thereat and for emitting a first signalin response to the sensed arrival of the element, and second meansconnecting said sensing means to said weft thread stop for actuation ofsaid stop in response to said signal to prevent pivoting of said feelertowards the weft thread.